From our friends at

Cybersecurity Vulnerability and Patch Report

Important Security Updates

Apple macOS: Apple has released an update to macOS High Sierra. Apply the update. Details are available on Apple’s website. Special note regarding the Apple update on KrebsonSecurity.

Comodo Free Firewall: Comodo has released version 10.0.2.6420 of its free firewall and antivirus. Updates are available from Comodo’s website.

Mozilla Firefox: Mozilla has released version 57.0.1. Updates are available within the browser or from Mozilla’s website.

Spotify: Spotify has released version 1.0.68.407. Updates are available on Spotify’s website.

Viber: Viber has released version 7.6.0.1 for Windows. Updates are available on Viber’s website.

WinZip: Winzip has released version 22.0.12684. Updates are available from within the program, look for “Check for Updates” on the Help menu, or download from the WinZip website.

Current Software Versions

Adobe Flash Player 27.0.0.187

Adobe Reader DC 2018.009.20044

Dropbox 39.4.49 [Citadel warns against relying on security of Dropbox or other cloud-based file exchange systems. We recommend files containing sensitive information be independently encrypted with a program like Axcrypt; encryption keys be at least 15 characters long; and the master Dropbox [or other] password be at least 15 characters long and different from other passwords.]

Firefox 57.0.1 [Windows]

Google Chrome 62.0.3202.94

Internet Explorer 11.0.47

Java SE 8 Update 151 [Citadel recommends removing or disabling Java from your browser. Java is a major source of cyber criminal exploits. It is not needed for most internet browsing. If you have a particular web site that requires Java, Citadel recommends using a two-browser approach to minimize risk. If you normally browse the Web with Firefox, for example, disable the Java plugin in Firefox and use an alternative browser — such as Chrome, IE9, Safari, etc — with Java enabled to browse only the sites that require it.]

Microsoft Edge 41.16299.15.0

QuickTime 7.7.9 [Citadel recommends removing QuickTime. On April 14, 2016 US-CERT advised Microsoft Windows users to remove QuickTime. This followed a report inars technica that Apple has no plans to update the Windows app despite at least two reliable QuickTime vulnerabilities that threaten Windows users who still have the program installed.]

McAfee: McAfee has released updates to fix several vulnerabilities in its Web Gateway. Apply updates. Additional details are available on McAfee’s website.

WordPress: WordPress has released version 4.9.1. Apply updates. Additional details are available on WordPress’ website.

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If you are responsible for the security of your computer, Citadel’s Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report is for you. We strongly urge you to take action to keep your system(s) patched and updated.

If someone else is responsible for the security of your computer, forward our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to them and follow up to make sure your computer has been patched and updated.

Vulnerability management is a key element of cyber security management. Cyber criminals take over user computers by writing computer programs that “exploit” vulnerabilities in operating systems (Windows, Apple OS, etc) and application programs (Adobe Acrobat, Office, Flash, Java, etc). When software companies find a vulnerability, they usually issue an update patch to fix the code running in their customer’s computers.

Citadel publishes our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to alert readers to some of the week’s important updates and vulnerabilities. Our focus is on software typically found in the small or home office (SOHO) or that users are likely to have on their home computer. The report is not intended to be a thorough listing of updates and vulnerabilities.

CYBER SECURITY NEWS

Individuals at Risk

Cyber Update

MacOS High Sierra Users: Change Root Password Now: A newly-discovered critical flaw in macOS High Sierra — Apple’s latest iteration of its operating system — allows anyone with local (and, apparently in some cases, remote) access to the machine to log in as the all-powerful “root” user without supplying a password. Fortunately, there is a simple fix for this until Apple patches this inexplicable bug: Change the root account’s password now. KrebsOnSecurity, November 28, 2017

Shopping Online Securely: The holiday season is nearing for many of us, and soon millions of people around the world will be looking to buy the perfect gifts. Many of us will choose to shop online in search of great deals and to avoid long lines and impatient crowds. Unfortunately, this is also the time of year many cyber criminals create fake shopping websites to scam and steal from others. Below, we explain the risks of shopping online and how to get that amazing deal safely. SANS, November 2017

Defense Contractors Take Note: NIST’s Compliance Deadline is Almost Here!: The end of the year approaches and that means Department of Defense (DoD) contractors must make changes to their own unclassified information systems to comply with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Information Systems and Organizations. Steptoe Cyberblog, December 1, 2017

Cyber Awareness

How Can I Tell This is an Attack? – Amazon Support Phish: Quite a few folks have been asking how can they tell this Amazon email is a Phish. Below are the indicators. I like this example as it demonstrates how the bad guys are constantly evolving and adapting in their attacks. Notice in this email how there is no malicious link or infected attachment to click on, making it much more difficult for perimeter defenses to detect and stop it. Notice how all the domains used in the attack are legitimate and owned by Amazon, including any links you hover over. SANS, November 29, 2017

Cybersecurity Culture

How Facebook’s Annual “Hacktober” Campaign Promotes Cybersecurity to Employees: While the word “cybersecurity” may evoke thoughts of highly sophisticated attacks that require fancy computing equipment and skilled hackers, the reality is that most attacks — especially in a corporate environment — involve simpler strategies that depend upon one thing: exploiting human behavior. Harvard Business Review, November 29, 2017

Cyber Update

Cisco Patches Critical Playback Bugs in WebEx Players: Cisco Systems issued a Critical alert on Wednesday warning of multiple vulnerabilities in its popular WebEx player. Six bugs were listed in the security advisory, each of them relating to holes in Cisco WebEx Network Recording Player for Advanced Recording Format (ARF) and WebEx Recording Format (WRF) files. ThreatPost, November 30, 2017

Driving Privacy Regulators Crazy: UK Probes Uber Breach: British regulators have launched a probe of the massive data breach suffered by taxi competitor Uber, which is scrambling to notify 57 million individuals in an unspecified number of countries that their details were exposed last year (see Uber Concealed Breach of 57 Million Accounts For A Year). BankInfoSecurity, November 22, 2017

Cyber Attack

Iraqi Hacking Group Posting Porn On ISIS Websites: Growing up Muslim, ideas around sexuality are often suppressed and forbidden. No one ever really talks about sex or tells you about it. When I saw that scene in Titanic when DiCaprio’s hand slides down the foggy window, I was told to look away from the screen—my imagination was forced to fill in the gaps. When I first saw porn, it pretty starkly opposed the innocent picture my mind had conjured up about romance. I felt a little sick and very ashamed, then a little pissed off that my parents had been doing that. And then I felt sick again. VICE, November 30, 2017

Who Was the NSA Contractor Arrested for Leaking the ‘Shadow Brokers’ Hacking Tools?: In August 2016, a mysterious entity calling itself “The Shadow Brokers” began releasing the first of several troves of classified documents and hacking tools purportedly stolen from “The Equation Group,” a highly advanced threat actor that is suspected of having ties to the U.S. National Security Agency. According to media reports, at least some of the information was stolen from the computer of an unidentified software developer and NSA contractor who was arrested in 2015 after taking the hacking tools home. In this post, we’ll examine clues left behind in the leaked Equation Group documents that may point to the identity of the mysterious software developer. KrebsOnSecurity, November 27, 2017

Cyber Law

Lawsuits Pile Up on Uber: Washington AG files multimillion-dollar consumer protection lawsuit; multiple states also confirm they are investigating the Uber breach, which means more lawsuits may follow. DarkReading, November 30, 2017

Cyber Sunshine

Russian involved in massive debit card hack sentenced in U.S. to 14 years in prison: A Russian cybercriminal who officials say helped hackers get fraudulent access to millions of debit card numbers and steal millions of dollars was sentenced this week in Atlanta to spend 14 years in prison — a sentence that will be served simultaneously with a 27-year term he was already serving. The Los Angeles Times, December 1, 2017

From our friends at

Important Security Updates

Adobe Flash Player: Adobe has released version 27.0.0.159. Updates are available from Adobe’s website.

Avira Antivirus: Avira has released version 15.0.32.12 of its free Antivirus. Updates are available from Avira’s website.

Mozilla Firefox: Mozilla has released version 56.0.1. Updates are available within the browser or from Mozilla’s website.

LastPass: LastPass has released version 4.2.0 for its Free Password Manager. Updates are available from LastPass’ website.

Microsoft Patch Tuesday: Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday released updates to address dozens of vulnerabilities, some of which are highly critical within Windows operating systems, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Office, and other Microsoft products. Additional details are available at Microsoft’s website.

Opera: Opera has released version 48.0.2685.39. Updates are available from within the browser or from Opera’s website.

Spotify: Spotify has released version 1.0.65.320. Updates are available on Spotify’s website.

Current Software Versions

Adobe Flash 27.0.0.159

Adobe Reader DC 2017.012.20093

Dropbox 36.4.22 [Citadel warns against relying on security of Dropbox or other cloud-based file exchange systems. We recommend files containing sensitive information be independently encrypted with a program like Axcrypt; encryption keys be at least 15 characters long; and the master Dropbox [or other] password be at least 15 characters long and different from other passwords.]

Firefox 56.0.1 [Windows]

Google Chrome 61.0.3163.100

Internet Explorer 11.0.9600.18763

Java SE 8 Update 144 [Citadel recommends removing or disabling Java from your browser. Java is a major source of cyber criminal exploits. It is not needed for most internet browsing. If you have a particular web site that requires Java, Citadel recommends using a two-browser approach to minimize risk. If you normally browse the Web with Firefox, for example, disable the Java plugin in Firefox and use an alternative browser — such as Chrome, IE9, Safari, etc — with Java enabled to browse only the sites that require it.]

Microsoft Edge 40.15063.0.0

QuickTime 7.7.9 [Citadel recommends removing QuickTime. On April 14, 2016 US-CERT advised Microsoft Windows users to remove QuickTime. This followed a report inars technica that Apple has no plans to update the Windows app despite at least two reliable QuickTime vulnerabilities that threaten Windows users who still have the program installed.]

Safari 10.1.2 [Mac OS X Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan]

Skype 7.40.0.103

For Your IT Department

Cisco Multiple Products: Cisco has released updates to address vulnerabilities in Adaptive Security Appliance Software, and others. Apply updates. Additional details are available at Cisco’s website.

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If you are responsible for the security of your computer, Citadel’s Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report is for you. We strongly urge you to take action to keep your workstation patched and updated.

If someone else is responsible for the security of your computer, forward our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to them and follow up to make sure your computer has been patched and updated.

Vulnerability management is a key element of cyber security management. Cyber criminals take over user computers by writing computer programs that “exploit” vulnerabilities in operating systems (Windows, Apple OS, etc) and application programs (Adobe Acrobat, Office, Flash, Java, etc). When software companies find a vulnerability, they usually issue an update patch to fix the code running in their customer’s computers.

Citadel publishes our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to alert readers to some of the week’s important updates and vulnerabilities. Our focus is on software typically found in the small or home office (SOHO) or that users are likely to have on their home computer. The report is not intended to be a thorough listing of updates and vulnerabilities.

CYBER SECURITY NEWS

Individuals at Risk

Identity Theft

Equifax Hackers Stole Info on 693,665 UK Residents: Equifax Inc. said today an investigation into information stolen in the epic data breach the company disclosed on Sept. 7 revealed that intruders took a file containing 15.2 million UK records. The company says it is now working to inform 693,665 U.K. consumers whose data was stolen in the attack. KrebsOnSecurity, October 10, 2017

Cyber Privacy

Equifax Credit Assistance Site Served Spyware: Big-three consumer credit bureau Equifax says it has removed third-party code from its credit report assistance Web site that prompted visitors to download spyware disguised as an update for Adobe’s Flash Player software. KrebsOnSecurity, October 12, 2017

Accenture left a huge trove of highly sensitive data on exposed servers: Technology and cloud giant Accenture has confirmed it inadvertently left a massive store of private data across four unsecured cloud servers, exposing highly sensitive passwords and secret decryption keys that could have inflicted considerable damage on the company and its customers. ZDNet, October 10, 2017

Equifax Breach Fallout: Your Salary History: In May, KrebsOnSecurity broke a story about lax security at a payroll division of big-three credit bureau Equifax that let identity thieves access personal and financial data on an unknown number of Americans. Incredibly, this same division makes it simple to access detailed salary and employment history on a large portion of Americans using little more than someone’s Social Security number and date of birth — both data elements that were stolen in the recent breach at Equifax. KrebsOnSecurity, October 8, 2017

Cyber Update

Microsoft’s October Patch Batch Fixes 62 Flaws: Microsoft on Tuesday released software updates to fix at least 62 security vulnerabilities in Windows, Office and other software. Two of those flaws were detailed publicly before yesterday’s patches were released, and one of them is already being exploited in active attacks, so attackers already have a head start. KrebsOnSecurity, October 11, 2017

Kaspersky Lab and the AV Security Hole: It’s unclear what happened in the reported theft of NSA data by Russian spies, but an attacker would need little help to steal if he or she had privileged access to an AV vendor’s network, security experts say. DarkReading, October 12, 2017

Cybersecurity in Society

Cyber Freedom

How Facebook’s Ad System Works: SAN FRANCISCO — In early September, Facebook revealed that it had identified about $100,000 in ads purchased on its social network by a Russian company linked to the Kremlin. Distributed between June 2015 and May of this year, the more than 3,000 ads added to evidence that Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election. The New York Times, October 12, 2017

How Russia Harvested American Rage to Reshape U.S. Politics: YouTube videos of police beatings on American streets. A widely circulated internet hoax about Muslim men in Michigan collecting welfare for multiple wives. A local news story about two veterans brutally mugged on a freezing winter night. The New York Times, October 9, 2017

THE U.S. ELECTION SYSTEM REMAINS DEEPLY VULNERABLE, BUT STATES WOULD RATHER CELEBRATE FAKE SUCCESS: WHEN THE DEPARTMENT of Homeland Security notified 21 states that Russian actors had targeted their elections systems in the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election, the impacted states rolled out a series of defiant statements. “Oregon’s security measures thwarted Russian government attempts to access the Secretary of State computer network during the 2016 general election,” chest-thumped Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson. The Interept, October 3, 2017

Israeli Spies Found Russians Using Kaspersky Software for Hacks: Media: WASHINGTON — Israeli intelligence officials spying on Russian government hackers found they were using Kaspersky Lab antivirus software that is also used by 400 million people globally, including U.S. government agencies, according to media reports on Tuesday. The New York Times, October 11, 2017

Cyber Attack

Hackers have turned Politifact’s website into a trap for your PC: PolitiFact has been an invaluable resource for debunking politicians’ misstatements and falsehoods. But now, it seems, some unknown actor is trying to profit off the website’s popularity — by hooking visitors’ computers into a virtual currency mining operation. The Washington Post, October 13, 2017

Cyber Law

Cyber Miscellany

IRS suspends contract with Equifax after malware discovered: The IRS said late Thursday that it has temporarily suspended the agency’s $7.1 million data security contract with Equifax (EFX) after malware found on the credit bureau’s website again called its security systems into question. CBS, October 12, 2017

From our friends at

Important Security Updates

Apple Multiple Products: Apple has released updates in macOS Sierra, watchOS, iOS, and others. Additional details are available on Apple’s website.

AVG Internet Security: AVG has released version 17.7.2314 of its 64 and 32 bit Internet Security. Updates are available on AVG’s website. AVG also released updates for its Free Antivirus, Premier Antivirus and Pro Antivirus.

Avira Antivirus: Avira has released version 15.0.32.6 of its free Antivirus. Updates are available from Avira’s website.

Dropbox: Dropbox has released version 36.4.22 for its file hosting program. Updates are available at Dropbox’s website. [See Citadel’s warning below]

KeePass: KeePass has released version 1.34 of its open source password manager. Updates are available from the KeePass website.

Malwarebytes: Malwarebytes has released version 3.2.2.2029. Updates are available from Malwarebytes website.

Current Software Versions

Adobe Flash 27.0.0.130

Adobe Reader DC 2017.012.20093

Dropbox 36.4.22 [Citadel warns against relying on security of Dropbox or other cloud-based file exchange systems. We recommend files containing sensitive information be independently encrypted with a program like Axcrypt; encryption keys be at least 15 characters long; and the master Dropbox [or other] password be at least 15 characters long and different from other passwords.]

Firefox 56.0 [Windows]

Google Chrome 61.0.3163.100

Internet Explorer 11.0.9600.18763

Java SE 8 Update 144 [Citadel recommends removing or disabling Java from your browser. Java is a major source of cyber criminal exploits. It is not needed for most internet browsing. If you have a particular web site that requires Java, Citadel recommends using a two-browser approach to minimize risk. If you normally browse the Web with Firefox, for example, disable the Java plugin in Firefox and use an alternative browser — such as Chrome, IE9, Safari, etc — with Java enabled to browse only the sites that require it.]

Microsoft Edge 40.15063.0.0

QuickTime 7.7.9 [Citadel recommends removing QuickTime. On April 14, 2016 US-CERT advised Microsoft Windows users to remove QuickTime. This followed a report inars technica that Apple has no plans to update the Windows app despite at least two reliable QuickTime vulnerabilities that threaten Windows users who still have the program installed.]

If you are responsible for the security of your computer, Citadel’s Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report is for you. We strongly urge you to take action to keep your workstation patched and updated.

If someone else is responsible for the security of your computer, forward our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to them and follow up to make sure your computer has been patched and updated.

Vulnerability management is a key element of cyber security management. Cyber criminals take over user computers by writing computer programs that “exploit” vulnerabilities in operating systems (Windows, Apple OS, etc) and application programs (Adobe Acrobat, Office, Flash, Java, etc). When software companies find a vulnerability, they usually issue an update patch to fix the code running in their customer’s computers.

Citadel publishes our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to alert readers to some of the week’s important updates and vulnerabilities. Our focus is on software typically found in the small or home office (SOHO) or that users are likely to have on their home computer. The report is not intended to be a thorough listing of updates and vulnerabilities.

CYBER SECURITY NEWS

Individuals at Risk

Identity Theft

Fear Not: You, Too, Are a Cybercrime Victim!: Maybe you’ve been feeling left out because you weren’t among the lucky few hundred million or billion who had their personal information stolen in either the Equifax or Yahoo! breaches. Well buck up, camper: Both companies took steps to make you feel better today. KrebsOnSecurity, October 4, 2017

The Equifax Hack Has the Hallmarks of State-Sponsored Pros: In the corridors and break rooms of Equifax Inc.’s giant Atlanta headquarters, employees used to joke that their enormously successful credit reporting company was just one hack away from bankruptcy. They weren’t being disparaging, just darkly honest: Founded in the 19th century as a retail credit company, Equifax had over the years morphed into one of the largest repositories of Americans’ most sensitive financial data, which the company sliced and diced and sold to banks and hedge funds. In short, the viability of Equifax and the security of its data were one and the same. Bloomberg, September 29, 2017

Cyber Privacy

USPS ‘Informed Delivery’ Is Stalker’s Dream: A free new service from the U.S. Postal Service that provides scanned images of incoming mail before it is slated to arrive at its destination address is raising eyebrows among security experts who worry about the service’s potential for misuse by private investigators, identity thieves, stalkers or abusive ex-partners. The USPS says it hopes to have changes in place by early next year that could help blunt some of those concerns. KrebsOnSecurity, October 2, 2017

Cyber Defense

Should Apple iPhone X Trust Facial Recognition for Security?: Your face is the future of smartphone security. Apple made that clear last week when it unveiled the pricey iPhone X, which trades in the familiar home button and TouchID fingerprint scanner for a new camera system that unlocks the device using facial recognition. Scientific American, October 2, 2017

Information Security Management in the Organization

Security Leadership

Leaderships’ evolving role in cybersecurity: As the volume and severity of computer crime has grown, one group has stayed somewhat quiet about the issue: CEOs. Cybersecurity is a difficult topic for many business executives to discuss. They aren’t comfortable with the technology and they worry that speaking out will betray their naïveté. They fear being breached but are reluctant to discuss their own vulnerability. They may even assign security a lower priority because it doesn’t have a clear ROI. Altogether, this creates the impression that they don’t care about an issue that may actually worry them a great deal. CSO, October 3, 2017

The Five Tenets of Cyber Security: In the two day MGT433 Securing the Human course, we start the class by defining what risk is. Security awareness is nothing more than a control to manage human risk. To manage risk, you have to first define it. What stuns me is how often security professionals that have been in this field 5, 10 or even 15 years are so lost in the technical weeds they forget (or never truly learned) the fundamentals of what we do. So, just to recap for those of us who have forgotten (and those who are new to the field), here are the five key tenets of cyber security. SANS, October 5, 2017

Breaches up 27%, losses up 23% in 2017 Ponemon – Accenture Cost of Cyber Crime Study: Over the last two years, the accelerating cost of cyber crime means that it is now 23 percent more than last year and is costing organizations, on average, US$11.7 million. Whether managing incidents themselves or spending to recover from the disruption to the business and customers, organizations are investing on an unprecedented scale—but current spending priorities show that much of this is misdirected toward security capabilities that fail to deliver the greatest efficiency and effectiveness. Ponemon, 2017

Cyber Attack

EFF fights off phishing attack – Phish For the Future: This report describes “Phish For The Future,” an advanced persistent spearphishing campaign targeting digital civil liberties activists at Free Press and Fight For the Future. Between July 7th and August 8th of 2017 we observed almost 70 spearphishing attempts against employees of internet freedom NGOs Fight for the Future and Free Press, all coming from the same attackers. EFF, September 27, 2017

Cyber Defense

National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2017: As hacks, data breaches, and other cyber-enabled crime become increasingly commonplace, this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month is an important reminder of the need to take steps to protect yourself and your family when using the Internet. Launched in 2004 by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance, the annual campaign held every October is designed to help the public stay safe online and to increase national resiliency in the event of a cyber incident. FBI, October 2, 2017

Cyber Freedom

US Top Law Enforcement Calls Strong Encryption a ‘Serious Problem’: BOSTON—Top U.S. law enforcement and policy makers touched the third-rail issue of encryption Wednesday with several high-ranking officials lamenting their inability to crack open phones, laptops and communications protected with strong encryption. ThreatPost, October 6, 2017

National Cybersecurity

Russian Theft of NSA Secrets: Many Questions, Few Answers: Hackers working for Russia gained access to the home computer of an NSA employee in 2015, pilfering highly classified material and spying code that was apparently detected by Kaspersky Lab’s anti-virus software (see Report: NSA Secrets Stolen From Computer Using Kaspersky Software). BankInfoSecurity, October 5, 2017

Interview w Jeremy Rabkin, co-author, Striking Power. Evolving cyberwar rules: In a delightfully iconoclastic new book, Jeremy Rabkin and John Yoo take the air out of 75 years worth of inflated claims about the law of war. They do it, not for its own sake, though God knows that would be enough, but as prelude to discussing how to use the new weapons – robots, space, and cyber — that technology makes possible. Brian Egan and I interview Jeremy Rabkin about these and other aspects of “Striking Power: How Cyber, Robots, and Space Weapons Change the Rules for War.” Steptoe Cyberblog, September 25, 2017<

Cyber Miscellany

The Coming Software Apocalypse & What Might Prevent It: There were six hours during the night of April 10, 2014, when the entire population of Washington State had no 911 service. People who called for help got a busy signal. One Seattle woman dialed 911 at least 37 times while a stranger was trying to break into her house. When he finally crawled into her living room through a window, she picked up a kitchen knife. The man fled. The Atlantic, September 26, 2017

From our friends at

Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report, October 1, 2017

Important Security Updates

Apple Multiple Products: Apple has released updates in iOS, macOS Server, iCloud for Windows, macOS High Sierra, and others. Additional details are available on Apple’s website.

Mozilla Firefox: Mozilla has released version 56.0. Updates are available within the browser or from Mozilla’s website.

Opera: Opera has released version 48.0.2685.32. Updates are available from within the browser or from Opera’s website.

Spotify: Spotify has released version 1.0.64.399. Updates are available on Spotify’s website.

Viber: Viber has released version 6.9.6.16 for Windows. Updates are available on Viber’s website.

Current Software Versions

Adobe Flash 27.0.0.130

Adobe Reader DC 2017.012.20093

Dropbox 34.4.20 [Citadel warns against relying on security of Dropbox or other cloud-based file exchange systems. We recommend files containing sensitive information be independently encrypted with a program like Axcrypt; encryption keys be at least 15 characters long; and the master Dropbox [or other] password be at least 15 characters long and different from other passwords.]

Firefox 56.0 [Windows]

Google Chrome 61.0.3163.100

Internet Explorer 11.0.9600.18763

Java SE 8 Update 144 [Citadel recommends removing or disabling Java from your browser. Java is a major source of cyber criminal exploits. It is not needed for most internet browsing. If you have a particular web site that requires Java, Citadel recommends using a two-browser approach to minimize risk. If you normally browse the Web with Firefox, for example, disable the Java plugin in Firefox and use an alternative browser — such as Chrome, IE9, Safari, etc — with Java enabled to browse only the sites that require it.]

Microsoft Edge 40.15063.0.0

QuickTime 7.7.9 [Citadel recommends removing QuickTime. On April 14, 2016 US-CERT advised Microsoft Windows users to remove QuickTime. This followed a report inars technica that Apple has no plans to update the Windows app despite at least two reliable QuickTime vulnerabilities that threaten Windows users who still have the program installed.]

If you are responsible for the security of your computer, Citadel’s Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report is for you. We strongly urge you to take action to keep your workstation patched and updated.

If someone else is responsible for the security of your computer, forward our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to them and follow up to make sure your computer has been patched and updated.

Vulnerability management is a key element of cyber security management. Cyber criminals take over user computers by writing computer programs that “exploit” vulnerabilities in operating systems (Windows, Apple OS, etc) and application programs (Adobe Acrobat, Office, Flash, Java, etc). When software companies find a vulnerability, they usually issue an update patch to fix the code running in their customer’s computers.

Citadel publishes our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to alert readers to some of the week’s important updates and vulnerabilities. Our focus is on software typically found in the small or home office (SOHO) or that users are likely to have on their home computer. The report is not intended to be a thorough listing of updates and vulnerabilities.

CYBER SECURITY NEWS

Individuals at Risk

Identity Theft

Here’s What to Ask the Former Equifax CEO: Richard Smith — who resigned as chief executive of big-three credit bureau Equifax this week in the wake of a data breach that exposed 143 million Social Security numbers — is slated to testify in front of no fewer than four committees on Capitol Hill next week. If I were a lawmaker, here are some of the questions I’d ask when Mr. Smith goes to Washington. KrebsOnSecurity, September 29, 2017

Equifax or Equiphish?: More than a week after it said most people would be eligible to enroll in a free year of its TrustedID identity theft monitoring service, big three consumer credit bureau Equifax has begun sending out email notifications to people who were able to take the company up on its offer. But in yet another security stumble, the company appears to be training recipients to fall for phishing scams. KrebsOnSecurity, September 24, 2017

Identity Theft – How to Protect Yourself: List of Resources: As you might have heard by now, Equifax was hacked and it’s up to you to take steps to protect yourself against identity theft. However, we’re here to help! We’ve collated some information from SANS Security Awareness here to help you get answers quickly. The Economist recently wrote an article on identity theft, utilizing SANS Security Awareness Director, Lance Spitzner to weigh in on credit monitoring and how much work is involved in undoing the damage of identity theft. He says, “The best step is to establish a credit freeze at all of the Credit Bureaus…”. Of course, there are other actions you can be taking to protect yourself, your family and your organization. We’ve identified ways you can protect yourself and your company through this blog post. SANS, September 20, 2017

How to “Freeze” Your Credit Files: If you live in California, you have the right to put a “security freeze” on your credit file. A security freeze means that your file cannot be shared with potential creditors. A security freeze can help prevent identity theft. Most businesses will not open credit accounts without first checking a consumer’s credit history. If your credit files are frozen, even someone who has your name and Social Security number would probably not be able to get credit in your name. ca.gov

Stan Stahl discusses the Equifax mess with Larry Marino: Stan Stahl, President CEO of Citadel Information Group and Non Profit Secure the Village – Updates the Equifax hack that involves the stealing of approximately 143 Million American’s personal information records.. Sunday Morning Newsmakers, October 1, 2017

Cyber Privacy

What If We Told You About Your Digital Copies: This ‘digital copy’ is a very real and expanding entity that is both representing you and as a proxy and revealing more and more detailed aspects about your personal and private life. Shocking as that may sound, you are the very one who is feeding that copy by providing information freely in large proportions. Every day, we trade our personal information (and our privacy) for things like ‘free’ email, faster product shipping, and social news feeds that connect us with friends and family. This very public copy is not going away anytime soon, so the question is “Is that something that is helping or hindering you?” ITSP, September 2017

Cyber Defense

Tips for protecting your #CryptoCurrency: Intrigued by the many possibilities of cryptocurrencies – not least by the prospect to “earn” serious money while doing nothing – you’ve decided to take the plunge and invest in some. HelpNetSecurity, September 29, 2017

How Credit Card Companies Spot Fraud … And Advice for Consumers: Credit card companies and banks, to protect your account and themselves, have gotten good at detecting credit fraud, such as when a purchase is made in an unlikely location or for an unusual amount, or when transactions occur at odd times. The Motley Fool, September 29, 2017

Answers to 5 Computer Security Questions Readers Keep Asking: After my contemporary thriller Kill Big Brother came out readers started asking how they can protect themselves online. Many more also called into radio shows I was a guest on. As I began answering, radio show hosts would often ask me to stay on for another segment because the phone lines were lighting up. Over time I found people were mostly asking the same five questions—and they are important and topical questions. Forbes, September 28, 2017

Email Do’s and Don’ts – SANS Awareness Newsletter: Email is still one of the primary ways we communicate, both in our personal and professional lives. However, we can quite often be our own worst enemy when using email. In this newsletter, we will explain the most common mistakes people make with email and how you can avoid them in your day-to-day lives. Sans, September 2016

Company directors are increasingly involved with cybersecurity: According to a new survey by BDO USA, 79% of public company directors report that their board is more involved with cybersecurity than it was 12 months ago and 78% say they have increased company investments during the past year to defend against cyber-attacks, with an average budget expansion of 19 percent. HelpNetSecurity, September 29, 2017

Six Key Traits of an Effective Cyber Risk Advisor: What makes a good cyber risk advisor? What skills do they need to help board directors address cybersecurity? According to a report by BayDynamics, board directors “may not be experts in security, but they do know how to steer a business away from risk and toward profit by listening to subject matter experts. However, they expect those experts to frame that advice around relevant business concerns.” SecurityIntelligence, September 28, 2017

What’s Your Tech-to-Human Security Ratio?: Ever wonder why some security awareness programs successfully change and secure human behavior while others fail? One of the most common reasons for failure is minimal investment. Many organizations are heavily investing in their cyber security programs. The problem is they are stuck in the 1990s focusing only on bits-n-bytes. While technology is where every organization should start, we have hit the point of diminishing returns. In today’s world organizations need to start investing in their human security also. To see where your organization stands, determine your Tech-to-Human security ratio. There are two ways to do this. SANS, September 25, 2017

Cyber Defense

Oregon Medicaid System Shut Down Allegedly by Ex-Staffer After Inadequate Adverse Termination: A federal criminal case alleges that a former Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Corp. employee shut down Oregon’s Medicaid information systems for several hours after the vendor laid him off. Security experts caution organizations to take steps to minimize risks from workers who are laid off or fired. “When an employee is suddenly fired, a few minutes of unfettered access to information systems can lead to a lot of damage,” says privacy attorney Adam Greene of the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine. BankInfoSecurity, September 29, 2017

Cyber Insurance

Cyberinsurance is gaining steam for smaller businesses: Cyberinsurance used to be only for large corporations, but policies are becoming available for small and medium-sized businesses. Read advice about what to consider before purchasing a cyber policy. TechRepublic, September 18, 2017

Source: Deloitte Breach Affected All Company Email, Admin Accounts: Deloitte, one of the world’s “big four” accounting firms, has acknowledged a breach of its internal email systems, British news outlet The Guardian revealed today. Deloitte has sought to downplay the incident, saying it impacted “very few” clients. But according to a source close to the investigation, the breach dates back to at least the fall of 2016, and involves the compromise of all administrator accounts at the company as well as Deloitte’s entire internal email system. KrebsOnSecurity, September 25, 2017

Know Your Enemy

Cybercriminals increasingly focusing on credential theft: Criminal tactics used to access user credentials are growing in prevelance, and that a record 47 percent of all malware is new or zero day, and thus able to evade signature-based antivirus solutions, according to WatchGuard. HelpNetSecurity, September 29, 2017

Malwarebytes: Malwarebytes has released version 3.2.2.2029. Updates are available from Malwarebytes website.

TechSmith Corporation SnagIt: TechSmith has released version 13.1.4.8008 for SnagIt. Updates are available from TechSmith’s website.

Current Software Versions

Adobe Flash 27.0.0.130

Adobe Reader DC 2017.012.20093

Dropbox 34.4.20 [Citadel warns against relying on security of Dropbox or other cloud-based file exchange systems. We recommend files containing sensitive information be independently encrypted with a program like Axcrypt; encryption keys be at least 15 characters long; and the master Dropbox [or other] password be at least 15 characters long and different from other passwords.]

Firefox 55.0.3 [Windows]

Google Chrome 61.0.3163.100

Internet Explorer 11.0.9600.18763

Java SE 8 Update 144 [Citadel recommends removing or disabling Java from your browser. Java is a major source of cyber criminal exploits. It is not needed for most internet browsing. If you have a particular web site that requires Java, Citadel recommends using a two-browser approach to minimize risk. If you normally browse the Web with Firefox, for example, disable the Java plugin in Firefox and use an alternative browser — such as Chrome, IE9, Safari, etc — with Java enabled to browse only the sites that require it.]

Microsoft Edge 40.15063.0.0

QuickTime 7.7.9 [Citadel recommends removing QuickTime. On April 14, 2016 US-CERT advised Microsoft Windows users to remove QuickTime. This followed a report inars technica that Apple has no plans to update the Windows app despite at least two reliable QuickTime vulnerabilities that threaten Windows users who still have the program installed.]

WordPress: WordPress has released version 4.8.2. Apply updates. Additional details are available on WordPress’ website.

*******************

If you are responsible for the security of your computer, Citadel’s Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report is for you. We strongly urge you to take action to keep your workstation patched and updated.

If someone else is responsible for the security of your computer, forward our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to them and follow up to make sure your computer has been patched and updated.

Vulnerability management is a key element of cyber security management. Cyber criminals take over user computers by writing computer programs that “exploit” vulnerabilities in operating systems (Windows, Apple OS, etc) and application programs (Adobe Acrobat, Office, Flash, Java, etc). When software companies find a vulnerability, they usually issue an update patch to fix the code running in their customer’s computers.

Citadel publishes our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to alert readers to some of the week’s important updates and vulnerabilities. Our focus is on software typically found in the small or home office (SOHO) or that users are likely to have on their home computer. The report is not intended to be a thorough listing of updates and vulnerabilities.

CYBER SECURITY NEWS

Individuals at Risk

Identity Theft

Why didn’t Equifax protect your data? Because corporations have all the power: When the credit-reporting agency Equifax announced this month that hackers had accessed the accounts of 143 million of its customers — over 40 percent of the population of the United States — it was another example of how little power consumers have over their own money and personal information. Indeed, it unfolded in a familiar way: Equifax isn’t communicating with its customers, and no one can make it. The Washington Post, September 21, 2017

Experian Site Can Give Anyone Your Credit Freeze PIN: An alert reader recently pointed my attention to a free online service offered by big-three credit bureau Experian that allows anyone to request the personal identification number (PIN) needed to unlock a consumer credit file that was previously frozen at Experian. KrebsOnSecurity, September 21, 2017

Equifax, the Credit Reporting Industry, and What Congress Should Do Next: Even for the experts, the recent data breach at Equifax was staggering. The data that undergirds the credit records of 143 million consumers was compromised. Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and drivers’ license records are used to authenticate identity. It is not difficult to change a credit card number, but changing Social Security numbers and birth dates is a whole different matter. Data breaches are on the rise in the United States. It’s time for Congress to act. Why does this require action by Congress? There are at least five major reasons that the private sector cannot handle this issue on its own. Harvard Business Review, September 20, 2017

Equifax Breach: Setting the Record Straight: Bloomberg published a story this week citing three unnamed sources who told the publication that Equifax experienced a breach earlier this year which predated the intrusion that the big-three credit bureau announced on Sept. 7. To be clear, this earlier breach at Equifax is not a new finding and has been a matter of public record for months. Furthermore, it was first reported on this Web site in May 2017. KrebsOnSecurity, September 20, 2017

The learned helplessness of Equifax: Is there a formal name for the fallacy of assuming that the status quo is sane? Such a name would become more useful with each passing year. There are a shocking number of examples, but I give you, as a perfect, vivid, front-of-mind example, the credit rating system of the United States of America, as exemplified by that radioactive disaster of a company called Equifax. TechCrunch, September 17, 2017

Equifax Should Be a Public Utility: Credit bureaus have little incentive to take hackers seriously. Only government oversight can change that. Harvard Business Review, September 15, 2017

Hackers are locking people out of their MacBooks – here’s how to stay safe: Hackers using stolen iCloud credentials have been able to use Apple’ Find My Device features to remotely lock down computers and demand Bitcoin ransoms from affected users. However, that doesn’t mean Apple’s iCloud was hacked. Instead, hackers are likely trying their luck with some of the many available username and password combinations that resulted from recently publicized hacks. BGR, September 21, 2017

This is why you shouldn’t use texts for two-factor authentication: For a long time, security experts have warned that text messages are vulnerable to hijacking — and this morning, they showed what it looks like in practice. A demonstration video posted by Positive Technologies (and first reported by Forbes) shows how easy it is to hack into a bitcoin wallet by intercepting text messages in transit. The Verge, September 18, 2017

Information Security Management in the Organization

Cyber Warning

Hackers hid malware in CCleaner software: Hackers have successfully breached CCleaner’s security to inject malware into the app and distribute it to millions of users. Security researchers at Cisco Talos discovered that download servers used by Avast (the company that owns CCleaner) were compromised to distribute malware inside CCleaner. “For a period of time, the legitimate signed version of CCleaner 5.33 being distributed by Avast also contained a multi-stage malware payload that rode on top of the installation of CCleaner,” says the Talos team. TheVerge, September 18, 2017

Cyber Defense

Cyber Law

Canada’s Tough New Breach Reporting Regulations: Canada had been lagging behind the U.S. and some other nations in terms of breach notification regulations, but now it’s catching up, says attorney Imran Ahmad, who explains new requirements that are coming into effect. BankInfoSecurity, September 21, 2017

Facebook to Turn Over Russian-Linked Ads to Congress: WASHINGTON — Under growing pressure from Congress and the public to reveal more about the spread of covert Russian propaganda on Facebook, the company said on Thursday that it was turning over more than 3,000 Russia-linked ads to congressional committees investigating the Kremlin’s influence operation during the 2016 presidential campaign. The New York Times, September 21, 2017

Political campaigns prep for battle with hackers: Candidates are quizzing prospective campaign managers on anti-hacking plans. Democratic committees like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which was breached last year, have switched internally from email to encrypted messaging apps. And both parties are feverishly trying to spread advice and best practices to new campaigns before they become targets. Politico, September 19, 2017

Facebook hands over ads, account info to Mueller: After special counsel Robert Mueller produced a search warrant, Facebook handed over records associated with fake accounts that purchased and planted $100,000 worth of ads on behalf of Russian interests to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election. SC Media, September 18, 2017

Financial Cyber Security

SEC Hack Threatens a Bedrock of U.S. Capitalism: Transparency: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission hails its database of company filings as an innovation that’s dramatically boosted corporate transparency. But a hack that led to the theft of market-moving secrets is the latest sign that technology also brings dangers the SEC is struggling to combat. Bloomberg, September 22, 2017

Cyber Research

Malware Steals Data From Air-Gapped Network via Security Cameras: Proof-of-concept malware called aIR-Jumper can be used to defeat air-gapped network protections and send data in and out of a targeted network. The technique uses security cameras and infrared LED lights that can blink back and forth to each other transmitting data that has been converted into data streams. ThreatPost, September 20, 2017

SecureTheVillage Calendar

SecureTheVillage: San Fernando Valley-East (Pasadena / Glendale) Cybersecurity Roundtable: The San Fernando Valley-East (Pasadena / Glendale) Cybersecurity Roundtable is designed to support communication and collaboration between C-Suite executives, IT managers, and cybersecurity experts. The San Fernando Valley-East Roundtable is intended for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. The Roundtable functions as a cross-organizational “learning community” committed to working together to better protect our community from cybercrime. September 28, 7:30 -10AM. Datastream, Glendale.

While the security community debates over the cause of the latest headline breach, here’s one that should make you scratch your head.

Our credit card had an Amazon charge on it that was not generated by me or my wife. This was not a stolen credit card issue, a phishing scam, or a breach of any kind. I’m not even sure what to call this one.

The person on the other end of the online chat strongly suggested that the charge had to have been generated by someone in our family. That just wasn’t the case.

The person on the other end of the online chat told my wife there was nothing to worry about and this was just a simple mistake. Simple mistake? I don't think so.

It turns out that our credit card somehow made it into another Amazon user’s account. How does this happen?

What is this called? How does it happen? What will keep this from happening again?

From our friends at

Important Security Updates

Avira Antivirus: Avira has released version 15.0.30.29 of its free Antivirus. Updates are available from Avira’s website.

Dropbox: Dropbox has released version 34.4.20 for its file hosting program. Updates are available at Dropbox’s website. [See Citadel’s warning below]

Google Chrome: Google has released Google Chrome version 61.0.3163.79. Updates are available from within the browser or from Google Chrome’s website.

Microsoft: Microsoft has released updates for Office, Project and Visio. These are available from the Control Panel.

Opera: Opera has released version 47.0.2631.80. Updates are available from within the browser or from Opera’s website.

Viber: Viber has released version 6.9.1.77 for Windows. Updates are available on Viber’s website.

Current Software Versions

Adobe Flash 26.0.0.151

Adobe Reader DC 2017.012.20093

Dropbox 34.4.20 [Citadel warns against relying on security of Dropbox or other cloud-based file exchange systems. We recommend files containing sensitive information be independently encrypted with a program like Axcrypt; encryption keys be at least 15 characters long; and the master Dropbox [or other] password be at least 15 characters long and different from other passwords.]

Firefox 55.0.3 [Windows]

Google Chrome 61.0.3163.79

Internet Explorer 11.0.9600.18763

Java SE 8 Update 144 [Citadel recommends removing or disabling Java from your browser. Java is a major source of cyber criminal exploits. It is not needed for most internet browsing. If you have a particular web site that requires Java, Citadel recommends using a two-browser approach to minimize risk. If you normally browse the Web with Firefox, for example, disable the Java plugin in Firefox and use an alternative browser — such as Chrome, IE9, Safari, etc — with Java enabled to browse only the sites that require it.]

Microsoft Edge 40.15063.0.0

QuickTime 7.7.9 [Citadel recommends removing QuickTime. On April 14, 2016 US-CERT advised Microsoft Windows users to remove QuickTime. This followed a report inars technica that Apple has no plans to update the Windows app despite at least two reliable QuickTime vulnerabilities that threaten Windows users who still have the program installed.]

McAfee: McAfee has released updates for it’s Threat Intelligence Exchange Server. Updates are available from McAfee’s website.

*******************

If you are responsible for the security of your computer, Citadel’s Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report is for you. We strongly urge you to take action to keep your workstation patched and updated.

If someone else is responsible for the security of your computer, forward our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to them and follow up to make sure your computer has been patched and updated.

Vulnerability management is a key element of cyber security management. Cyber criminals take over user computers by writing computer programs that “exploit” vulnerabilities in operating systems (Windows, Apple OS, etc) and application programs (Adobe Acrobat, Office, Flash, Java, etc). When software companies find a vulnerability, they usually issue an update patch to fix the code running in their customer’s computers.

Citadel publishes our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to alert readers to some of the week’s important updates and vulnerabilities. Our focus is on software typically found in the small or home office (SOHO) or that users are likely to have on their home computer. The report is not intended to be a thorough listing of updates and vulnerabilities.

Equifax Breach Response Turns Dumpster Fire: I cannot recall a previous data breach in which the breached company’s public outreach and response has been so haphazard and ill-conceived as the one coming right now from big-three credit bureau Equifax, which rather clumsily announced Thursday that an intrusion jeopardized Social security numbers and other information on 143 million Americans. KrebsOnSecurity, Septeber 8, 2017

Equifax Breach: 8 Takeaways: After Equifax on Thursday warned that 143 million consumers’ personal details may have been stolen by hackers, criticism of the consumer credit reporting agency – and data broker – has been swift. BankInfoSecurity, September 8, 2017

Cyber Defense

Password Managers: One of the most important steps you can take to protectyourself online is to use a unique, strong password for every one of your accounts and apps. Unfortunately, it is most likely impossible for you to remember all your different passwords for all your different accounts. This is why so many people reuse the same password. SANS, September 2016

Cyber Defense

Are you an easy hacking target? Cybersecurity tips for small business: Small businesses and self-employed people are big targets for hackers, and the financial implications can be crippling. Gone are the days of thinking “It’ll never happen to us”. A total of 61% of all data breaches this year occurred in businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees, according to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report. Estimates vary on how much a breach truly costs, but it can often be millions of pounds. The Guardian, September 8, 2017

The 5 cyber attacks you’re most likely to face: As a consultant, one of the biggest security problems I see is perception: The threats companies think they face are often vastly different than the threats that pose the greatest risk. For example, they hire me to deploy state-of-the-art public key infrastructure (PKI) or an enterprise-wide intrusion detection system when really what they need is better patching. CSO, August 21, 2017

The Fake-News Fallacy:Old fights about radio have lessons for new fights about the Internet: On the evening of October 30, 1938, a seventy-six-year-old millworker in Grover’s Mill, New Jersey, named Bill Dock heard something terrifying on the radio. Aliens had landed just down the road, a newscaster announced, and were rampaging through the countryside. Dock grabbed his double-barrelled shotgun and went out into the night, prepared to face down the invaders. But, after investigating, as a newspaper later reported, he “didn’t see anybody he thought needed shooting.” In fact, he’d been duped by Orson Welles’s radio adaptation of “The War of the Worlds.” Structured as a breaking-news report that detailed the invasion in real time, the broadcast adhered faithfully to the conventions of news radio, complete with elaborate sound effects and impersonations of government officials, with only a few brief warnings through the program that it was fiction. The New Yorker, September 4, 2017

National Cybersecurity

The Cyberlaw Podcast – Stewart Baker interviews Michael Mainelli: In Episode 177, fresh from hiatus, we try to summarize the most interesting cyber stories to break in August. Paul Rosenzweig kicks things off with the Shunning of Kaspersky. I argue that the most significant – though unsupported – claim about Kaspersky is Sen. Shaheen’s assertion that all of the company’s servers are in Russia. If true, that’s certainly an objective reason not to let Kaspersky install sensors in non-Russian computers. The question that remains is how much due process companies like Kaspersky should get. That’s a question unlikely to go away, as DOD is now comprehensively shunning DJI drones, issuing guidance that sounds a lot like Edward Snowden demanding that users uninstall all DJI apps and remove all batteries and storage media. Steptoe Cyberblog, September 5, 2017

The first quantum-cryptographic satellite network will be Chinese: IN THE never-ending arms race between encryptors and eavesdroppers, many of those on the side that is trying to keep messages secret are betting on quantum mechanics, a description of how subatomic particles behave, to come to their aid. In particular, they think a phenomenon called quantum entanglement may provide an unsubvertable way of determining whether or not a message has been intercepted by a third party. Such interception, quantum theory suggests, will necessarily alter the intercepted message in a recognisable way, meaning that the receiver will know it is insecure. This phenomenon depends on the fact, surprising but true, that particles with identical properties which are created simultaneously are entangled in a way that means one cannot have its properties altered without also altering the other, no matter how far apart they are. The Economist, August 31, 2017

Cyber Law

Could CareFirst Data Breach Case Be Headed to Supreme Court?: Could the class action lawsuit filed against CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield after a 2014 cyberattack impacting 1.1 million individuals be the first data breach case headed to the Supreme Court? A recent ruling by a federal court makes that a possibility. BankInfoSecurity, September 8, 2017

Critical Infrastructure

Symantec Report: Hackers found to gain direct operational access to US power grid controls: In an era of hacker attacks on critical infrastructure, even a run-of-the-mill malware infection on an electric utility’s network is enough to raise alarm bells. But the latest collection of power grid penetrations went far deeper: Security firm Symantec is warning that a series of recent hacker attacks not only compromised energy companies in the US and Europe but also resulted in the intruders gaining hands-on access to power grid operations—enough control that they could have induced blackouts on American soil at will. Wired, September 6, 2017

Internet of Things

IoT Security: What’s Plan B?: In August, four US Senators introduced a bill designed to improve Internet of Things (IoT) security. The IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2017 is a modest piece of legislation. It doesn’t regulate the IoT market. It doesn’t single out any industries for particular attention, or force any companies to do anything. It doesn’t even modify the liability laws for embedded software. Companies can continue to sell IoT devices with whatever lousy security they want. SchneierOnSecurity, September 2017

SecureTheVillage Calendar

PIHRA: Information Security Awareness: The Cyber Tsunami!:Citadel’s Kimberly Pease will facilitate a discussion of (i) steps to take to protect a company’s information from hackers and cyber criminals; (ii)tips to protect yourselves as consumers; (iii) understanding who the criminals are and why you are a target; (iv) real stories and scary examples that could happen to you. September 20, 7:30 – 9:30, The City Club

SecureTheVillage: San Fernando Valley-East (Pasadena / Glendale) Cybersecurity Roundtable: The San Fernando Valley-East (Pasadena / Glendale) Cybersecurity Roundtable is designed to support communication and collaboration between C-Suite executives, IT managers, and cybersecurity experts. The San Fernando Valley-East Roundtable is intended for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. The Roundtable functions as a cross-organizational “learning community” committed to working together to better protect our community from cybercrime. September 28, 7:30 -10AM. Datastream, Glendale.

From our friends at

Important Security Updates

Avast: Avast has released version 17.6.2310 for Free Antivirus. Updates are available on Avast’s website. Avast! has also released updates for Premier Antivirus, Pro Antivirus and Internet Security.

Comodo Free Firewall: Comodo has released version 10.0.1.6294 of its free firewall and antivirus. Updates are available from Comodo’s website.

Opera: Opera has released version 47.0.2631.71. Updates are available from within the browser or from Opera’s website.

Skype: Skype has released Skype 7.40.0.103. Updates are available from the program or Skype’s website.

Current Software Versions

Adobe Flash 26.0.0.151

Adobe Reader DC 2017.012.20093

Dropbox 33.4.23 [Citadel warns against relying on security of Dropbox or other cloud-based file exchange systems. We recommend files containing sensitive information be independently encrypted with a program like Axcrypt; encryption keys be at least 15 characters long; and the master Dropbox [or other] password be at least 15 characters long and different from other passwords.]

Firefox 55.0.3 [Windows]

Google Chrome 60.0.3112.113

Internet Explorer 11.0.9600.18763

Java SE 8 Update 144 [Citadel recommends removing or disabling Java from your browser. Java is a major source of cyber criminal exploits. It is not needed for most internet browsing. If you have a particular web site that requires Java, Citadel recommends using a two-browser approach to minimize risk. If you normally browse the Web with Firefox, for example, disable the Java plugin in Firefox and use an alternative browser — such as Chrome, IE9, Safari, etc — with Java enabled to browse only the sites that require it.]

Microsoft Edge 40.15063.0.0

QuickTime 7.7.9 [Citadel recommends removing QuickTime. On April 14, 2016 US-CERT advised Microsoft Windows users to remove QuickTime. This followed a report inars technica that Apple has no plans to update the Windows app despite at least two reliable QuickTime vulnerabilities that threaten Windows users who still have the program installed.]

Safari 10.1.2 [Mac OS X Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan]

Skype 7.40.0.103

For Your IT Department

None

*******************

If you are responsible for the security of your computer, Citadel’s Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report is for you. We strongly urge you to take action to keep your workstation patched and updated.

If someone else is responsible for the security of your computer, forward our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to them and follow up to make sure your computer has been patched and updated.

Vulnerability management is a key element of cyber security management. Cyber criminals take over user computers by writing computer programs that “exploit” vulnerabilities in operating systems (Windows, Apple OS, etc) and application programs (Adobe Acrobat, Office, Flash, Java, etc). When software companies find a vulnerability, they usually issue an update patch to fix the code running in their customer’s computers.

Citadel publishes our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to alert readers to some of the week’s important updates and vulnerabilities. Our focus is on software typically found in the small or home office (SOHO) or that users are likely to have on their home computer. The report is not intended to be a thorough listing of updates and vulnerabilities.

Cyber Danger

Is Your Mobile Carrier Your Weakest Link?: More online services than ever now offer two-step authentication — requiring customers to complete a login using their phone or other mobile device after supplying a username and password. But with so many services relying on your mobile for that second factor, there has never been more riding on the security of your mobile account. Below are some tips to ensure your mobile device (or, more specifically, your mobile carrier) isn’t the weakest link in your security chain. KrebsOnSecurity, August 27, 2017

Victim of crypto-currency theft describes how cybercriminals hacked his cellphone: At about 9pm on Tuesday, August 22 a hacker swapped his or her own SIM card with mine, presumably by calling T-Mobile. This, in turn, shut off network services to my phone and, moments later, allowed the hacker to change most of my Gmail passwords, my Facebook password, and text on my behalf. All of the two-factor notifications went, by default, to my phone number so I received none of them and in about two minutes I was locked out of my digital life. TechCrunch, August 23, 2017

Cyber Warning

Beware of Hurricane Harvey Relief Scams: U.S. federal agencies are warning citizens anxious to donate money for those victimized by Hurricane Harvey to be especially wary of scam artists. In years past we’ve seen shameless fraudsters stand up fake charities and other bogus relief efforts in a bid to capitalize on public concern over an ongoing disaster. Here are some tips to help ensure sure your aid dollars go directly to those most in need. KrebsOnSecurity, August 29, 2017

Information Security Management in the Organization

Cyber Warning

Locky Ransomware Campaign Returns via Spam and Dropbox-Themed Phishing Attacks: In today’s digital world, boundaries are blurring. Driven by “need it now” business demands, cloud applications are surfacing in business environments everywhere, often with little or no IT involvement. We’re allowing access to a growing and dynamic user population that includes not only employees but partners, customers, channels and contractors. And, while the always-on mobile and BYOD landscape offers much-needed convenience for users, it further blurs personal and corporate access boundaries. Ultimately, we need to find a way to embrace today’s boundaryless business world, while maintaining security confidence, ensuring that we meet increasing compliance demands, and doing so in a way that’s completely seamless and easy for our users. BankInfoSecurity, Event on September 5, 2017

Cyber Sunshine

Mirai Malware Attacker Extradited From Germany to UK: Admitted Mirai malware mastermind Daniel Kaye, 29, has been extradited from Germany to the United Kingdom, where he faces charges that he launched cyberattacks against two of Britain’s biggest banks. BankInfoSecurity, August 31, 2017

Tech Firms Team Up to Take Down ‘WireX’ Android DDoS Botnet: A half dozen technology and security companies — some of them competitors — issued the exact same press release today. This unusual level of cross-industry collaboration caps a successful effort to dismantle ‘WireX,’ an extraordinary new crime machine comprising tens of thousands of hacked Android mobile devices that was used this month to launch a series of massive cyber attacks. KrebsOnSecurity, August 28, 2017

Fake Twitter bots w Russian fingerprints used to intimidate and disrupt social media: I awoke this morning to find my account on Twitter (@briankrebs) had attracted almost 12,000 new followers overnight. Then I noticed I’d gained almost as many followers as the number of re-tweets (RTs) earned for a tweet I published on Tuesday. The tweet stated how every time I tweet something related to Russian President Vladimir Putin I get a predictable stream of replies that are in support of President Trump — even in cases when neither Trump nor the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign were mentioned. KrebsOnSecurity, August 30, 2017

PIHRA: Information Security Awareness: The Cyber Tsunami!:Citadel’s Kimberly Pease will facilitate a discussion of (i) steps to take to protect a company’s information from hackers and cyber criminals; (ii)tips to protect yourselves as consumers; (iii) understanding who the criminals are and why you are a target; (iv) real stories and scary examples that could happen to you. September 20, 7:30 – 9:30, The City Club

SecureTheVillage: San Fernando Valley-East (Pasadena / Glendale) Cybersecurity Roundtable: The San Fernando Valley-East (Pasadena / Glendale) Cybersecurity Roundtable is designed to support communication and collaboration between C-Suite executives, IT managers, and cybersecurity experts. The San Fernando Valley-East Roundtable is intended for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. The Roundtable functions as a cross-organizational “learning community” committed to working together to better protect our community from cybercrime. September 28, 7:30 -10AM. Datastream, Glendale.

From our friends at

Important Security Updates

AxCrypt: AxCrypt has released version 2.1.1534.0. Updates are available from AxCrypt’s website.

Dropbox: Dropbox has released version 33.4.23 for its file hosting program. Updates are available at Dropbox’s website. [See Citadel’s warning below]

Foxit Reader: Foxit has released Foxit Reader 8.3.2.25013 of its popular PDF-reader. Updates are available from within the program or from Foxit’s website.

Google Chrome: Google has released Google Chrome version 60.0.3112.113. Updates are available from within the browser or from Google Chrome’s website.

Google Earth Pro: Google has released version 7.3.0.3832 for Google Earth Pro. Updates are available from Google’s website.

LastPass: LastPass has released version 4.1.63 for its Free Password Manager. Updates are available from LastPass’ website.

Malwarebytes: Malwarebytes has released version 3.2.2.2018. Updates are available from Malwarebytes website.

Mozilla Firefox: Mozilla has released version 55.0.3. Updates are available within the browser or from Mozilla’s website.

Current Software Versions

Adobe Flash 26.0.0.151

Adobe Reader DC 2017.012.20093

Dropbox 33.4.23 [Citadel warns against relying on security of Dropbox or other cloud-based file exchange systems. We recommend files containing sensitive information be independently encrypted with a program like Axcrypt; encryption keys be at least 15 characters long; and the master Dropbox [or other] password be at least 15 characters long and different from other passwords.]

Firefox 55.0.3 [Windows]

Google Chrome 60.0.3112.113

Internet Explorer 11.0.9600.18763

Java SE 8 Update 144 [Citadel recommends removing or disabling Java from your browser. Java is a major source of cyber criminal exploits. It is not needed for most internet browsing. If you have a particular web site that requires Java, Citadel recommends using a two-browser approach to minimize risk. If you normally browse the Web with Firefox, for example, disable the Java plugin in Firefox and use an alternative browser — such as Chrome, IE9, Safari, etc — with Java enabled to browse only the sites that require it.]

Microsoft Edge 40.15063.0.0

QuickTime 7.7.9 [Citadel recommends removing QuickTime. On April 14, 2016 US-CERT advised Microsoft Windows users to remove QuickTime. This followed a report inars technica that Apple has no plans to update the Windows app despite at least two reliable QuickTime vulnerabilities that threaten Windows users who still have the program installed.]

Safari 10.1.2 [Mac OS X Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan]

Skype 7.39.0.102

For Your IT Department

Cisco Multiple Products: Cisco has released updates to address vulnerabilities in Smart Net Total Care, Meeting Server and others. Apply updates. Additional details are available at Cisco’s website.

TeamViewer: TeamViewer has released version 12.1.16680. Updates are available from TeamViewer’s website.

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If you are responsible for the security of your computer, Citadel’s Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report is for you. We strongly urge you to take action to keep your workstation patched and updated.

If someone else is responsible for the security of your computer, forward our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to them and follow up to make sure your computer has been patched and updated.

Vulnerability management is a key element of cyber security management. Cyber criminals take over user computers by writing computer programs that “exploit” vulnerabilities in operating systems (Windows, Apple OS, etc) and application programs (Adobe Acrobat, Office, Flash, Java, etc). When software companies find a vulnerability, they usually issue an update patch to fix the code running in their customer’s computers.

Citadel publishes our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to alert readers to some of the week’s important updates and vulnerabilities. Our focus is on software typically found in the small or home office (SOHO) or that users are likely to have on their home computer. The report is not intended to be a thorough listing of updates and vulnerabilities.

Cyber Security News

Why It’s Still A Bad Idea to Post or Trash Your Airline Boarding Pass: One reason may be that the advice remains timely and relevant: A talk recently given at a Czech security conference advances that research and offers several reminders of how being careless with your boarding pass could jeopardize your privacy or even cause trip disruptions down the road. KrebsOnSecurity, August 24, 2017

Backup & Recovery: If you use a computer or mobile device long enough, sooner or later something will go wrong, resulting in you losing your personal files, documents, or photos.SANS Securing the Human, August 2017

Eighth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Scottrade Data Breach Suit: The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit recently affirmed the district court’s dismissal of a putative class action brought by customers of the brokerage firm Scottrade in the wake of an alleged data breach impacting Scottrade in 2013. Alston & Bird Privacy & DataBlog, August 25, 2017

The HBO hackers just sent us the end of ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7: The so-called Mr. Smith hacking group that’s responsible for stealing approximately 1.5 terabytes of data from HBO just released what they’re calling the sixth wave of leaks — and it just so happens this data dump contains what they claim is the end to Season 7 of Game of Thrones. Mashable Technology, August 25, 2017

PIHRA: Information Security Awareness: The Cyber Tsunami!:Citadel’s Kimberly Pease will facilitate a discussion of (i) steps to take to protect a company’s information from hackers and cyber criminals; (ii)tips to protect yourselves as consumers; (iii) understanding who the criminals are and why you are a target; (iv) real stories and scary examples that could happen to you. September 20, 7:30 – 9:30, The City Club

SecureTheVillage: San Fernando Valley-East (Pasadena / Glendale) Cybersecurity Roundtable: The San Fernando Valley-East (Pasadena / Glendale) Cybersecurity Roundtable is designed to support communication and collaboration between C-Suite executives, IT managers, and cybersecurity experts. The San Fernando Valley-East Roundtable is intended for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. The Roundtable functions as a cross-organizational “learning community” committed to working together to better protect our community from cybercrime. September 28, 7:30 -10AM. Datastream, Glendale.

From our friends at

Important Security Updates

Google Chrome: Google has released Google Chrome version 60.0.3112.101. Updates are available from within the browser or from Google Chrome’s website.

Mozilla Firefox: Mozilla has released version 55.0.2. Updates are available within the browser or from Mozilla’s website.

Piriform CCleaner: Piriform has released version 5.33.6162 for CCleaner. Updates are available from Piriform’s website.

Current Software Versions

Adobe Flash 26.0.0.151

Adobe Reader DC 2017.012.20093

Dropbox 32.4.23 [Citadel warns against relying on security of Dropbox or other cloud-based file exchange systems. We recommend files containing sensitive information be independently encrypted with a program like Axcrypt; encryption keys be at least 15 characters long; and the master Dropbox [or other] password be at least 15 characters long and different from other passwords.]

Firefox 55.0.2 [Windows]

Google Chrome 60.0.3112.101

Internet Explorer 11.0.9600.18763

Java SE 8 Update 144 [Citadel recommends removing or disabling Java from your browser. Java is a major source of cyber criminal exploits. It is not needed for most internet browsing. If you have a particular web site that requires Java, Citadel recommends using a two-browser approach to minimize risk. If you normally browse the Web with Firefox, for example, disable the Java plugin in Firefox and use an alternative browser — such as Chrome, IE9, Safari, etc — with Java enabled to browse only the sites that require it.]

Microsoft Edge 40.15063.0.0

QuickTime 7.7.9 [Citadel recommends removing QuickTime. On April 14, 2016 US-CERT advised Microsoft Windows users to remove QuickTime. This followed a report inars technica that Apple has no plans to update the Windows app despite at least two reliable QuickTime vulnerabilities that threaten Windows users who still have the program installed.]

If you are responsible for the security of your computer, Citadel’s Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report is for you. We strongly urge you to take action to keep your workstation patched and updated.

If someone else is responsible for the security of your computer, forward our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to them and follow up to make sure your computer has been patched and updated.

Vulnerability management is a key element of cyber security management. Cyber criminals take over user computers by writing computer programs that “exploit” vulnerabilities in operating systems (Windows, Apple OS, etc) and application programs (Adobe Acrobat, Office, Flash, Java, etc). When software companies find a vulnerability, they usually issue an update patch to fix the code running in their customer’s computers.

Citadel publishes our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to alert readers to some of the week’s important updates and vulnerabilities. Our focus is on software typically found in the small or home office (SOHO) or that users are likely to have on their home computer. The report is not intended to be a thorough listing of updates and vulnerabilities.

Developments in New York and Colorado Cybersecurity Regulations: For the first time since New York’s Cybersecurity Regulation (23 NYCRR Part 500) became effective on March 1, 2017, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) has issued Frequently Asked Questions to assist Covered Entities in their compliance and provide guidance into the DFS’s interpretation and enforcement of its newly adopted regulation. National Law Review, Aug 18, 2017

Russian-Speaking APT Group Said to Be Engaged in G20 Themed Attack: Turla, a long operating advanced persistent threat group (APT) with presumed ties to the Russian government, appears to be actively targeting G20 participants and those interested in its activities including policymakers, member nations and journalists. DarkReading, Aug 18, 2017

PIHRA: Information Security Awareness: The Cyber Tsunami!:Citadel’s Kimberly Pease will facilitate a discussion of (i) steps to take to protect a company’s information from hackers and cyber criminals; (ii)tips to protect yourselves as consumers; (iii) understanding who the criminals are and why you are a target; (iv) real stories and scary examples that could happen to you. September 20, 7:30 – 9:30, The City Club

SecureTheVillage: San Fernando Valley-East (Pasadena / Glendale) Cybersecurity Roundtable: The San Fernando Valley-East (Pasadena / Glendale) Cybersecurity Roundtable is designed to support communication and collaboration between C-Suite executives, IT managers, and cybersecurity experts. The San Fernando Valley-East Roundtable is intended for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. The Roundtable functions as a cross-organizational “learning community” committed to working together to better protect our community from cybercrime. September 28, 7:30 -10AM. Datastream, Glendale.

Job seekers frequently get stuck because they don’t see the strategic paths leading from where they are to where they want to go.

Your resume is always about you, and it is always written for the benefit of another person. We’ll call these other people the audience for your resume.

If in your profession, you use language, acronyms and/or abbreviations that 100% of your audience does not use or clearly understand, you might get stuck.

Most people write resumes about themselves as if they’re writing their resume for themselves. This approach will frequently get you stuck.

If your resume’s audience can’t figure out who you are, where you are, how to contact you, what you’re great at and how you can specifically solve their problems, you’ll likely find yourself getting stuck.

If you're ready for a leadership role and you're sending out resumes that carry laundry lists of technology rather than evidence of what you've done to lead, guide, mentor and grow other people, you'll likely get stuck in the hands-on individual contributor role you're in today.

When employers are asking for job candidates who are visionary, strategic, collaborators who can influence, guide and execute and you aren't crystal clear as to which of those traits describe you, it will be very difficult to write a resume that addresses the traits and behaviors employers are seeking.

Your resume should give evidence of accomplishments, contributions and the value you've created for past employers in order to demonstrate that you can create similar value for the future employer.

By the way, research by The Ladders suggests that you now have 6 seconds to make a favorable first impression when you share your resume. In those first 6 seconds when a resume reviewer puts their eyes on your resume, you’re making a first impression.

The first impression your resume makes is either an impression that will open an interview door or it is an impression that will keep you stuck in your current situation.